History

In 1621, King James I directed the Privy Council of England to establish a temporary committee to investigate the causes of a decline in trade and consequent financial difficulties. The Board's formal title remains "The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations".

History

The idea of a Board of Trade was first translated into action by Oliver Cromwell in 1655 when he appointed his son Richard Cromwell to head a body of Lords of the Privy Council, judges and merchants to consider measures to promote trade. Charles II established a Council of Trade on 7 November 1660 followed by a Council of Foreign Plantations on 1 December that year. The two were united on 16 September 1672 as the Board of Trade and Plantations.

After the Board was re-established in 1696, there were 15 (and later 16) members of the Board - the 7 (later 8) Great Officers of State, and 8 unofficial members, who did the majority of the work. The senior unofficial member of the board was the President of the Board, commonly known as the First Lord of Trade. The board was abolished on 11 July 1782, but a Committee of the Privy Council was established on 5 March 1784 for the same purposes. On 23 August 1786 a new Committee was set up, more strongly focused on commercial functions than the previous boards of trade. At first the President of the Board of Trade only occasionally sat in the Cabinet, but from the early 19th century it was usually a cabinet-level position.

The Trade

I'm on a rollOut of controlAnother one night standI can't get away'Cause I'm on displayBut I can't see you, manCHORUSSmile for the camerasSmile for the fansSign their recordsAnd shake their handsTry to stay healthyTry to get laidMake it to the showThat's the trade (2)I sleep all dayOn the freewayOn the bus between each gigI'm making my livingSinging my songsDoing my thing, digI had a dreamSo I made some plansThings have a way of working outI found a few peopleAnd formed a bandTaught myself to shoutREPEAT CHORUSWrite down stuffYou feel strongly aboutOthers may feel the sameAnd before you know itYou might be a big starAnd everyone will know your nameWhen you learn the tradeAnd you're on displayEveryone knows that nameEveryone knows our nameEveryone knows my name

History

In 1621, King James I directed the Privy Council of England to establish a temporary committee to investigate the causes of a decline in trade and consequent financial difficulties. The Board's formal title remains "The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations".